Jump Start Your Day with Breakfast Our topic today is how to jump start your day with breakfast.

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Many people can’t face food when they crawl out of bed.

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A quick cup of coffee (or tea), and maybe a doughnut or sweet roll, is a standard adult breakfast.

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An increasing number of children arrive at school having eaten nothing at all.

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Why is it that most people skip breakfast?1 The most common reasons people give are:  They don’t have time ©Photodisc #BU010053; ©Hemera PhotoObjects

 They are not hungry in the morning  They want to lose weight  (or they) Don’t realize its importance Eating breakfast simply makes good sense. Who would start out on a trip without any gas in their car? So why should you start your day without the necessary energy supply?

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A group of scientists spent 10 years studying the effects of eating breakfast. A good breakfast, they concluded, can help both children and adults…  Be less irritable, ©Wildwood Lifestyle Center

 More efficient,  More energetic,  (and) Have better test scores. -1-

Jump Start Your Day with Breakfast Yes, breakfast helped children score higher on tests written before the noon recess. How? Breakfast provides a steady source of fuel to the brain, which greatly improves mental function and attention span.2 3 4 5 ©Comstock #KS12217

Studies have even linked healthy breakfasts with…  Less chronic disease,

 Increased longevity  (and) Better health. ©Good Shoot #035070

Others have shown that those who wait to eat until after arriving at work do not perform as well in their work output.

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Many people attempt to compensate for that mid-morning drop in energy by drinking coffee, tea or a caffeinated soda, along with something sweet—a doughnut, sweet roll or other high calorie snack. ©Photodisc #12302

But what is a healthy breakfast?

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The culture may vary, but a good breakfast is one that provides…

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at least one third to one half of the day’s calories, is high in fiber, and is rich in vitamins and minerals. ©John Foxx #FO1972; ©Panorama #022004; ©Photodisc #12282

You may have heard the wise saying:  “Eat breakfast like a king,

 lunch like a prince,  and supper like a pauper.” ©ADM

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Jump Start Your Day with Breakfast Try starting your day with a whole-grain cereal, whole-grain bread, and a couple of pieces of fresh fruit, and you’ll find that your energy level stays high all morning. ©ADM

Cereals, bread and fruit are energy foods—carbohydrates— which are easily converted into glucose—the fuel of the body. These foods are also loaded with vitamins and minerals, and rich in disease-fighting phytochemicals and antioxidants. ©Panorama #022002

Someone may ask, “what about having coffee and a bun with jam for breakfast?” We need something more substantial, something with more fiber in it. ©Wildwood Lifestyle Center

Low-fiber foods, especially sugary ones, quickly pass into the bloodstream,

and cause blood sugar levels to rise and then fall rapidly, often well below normal levels. Low blood sugar may result in physical problems including headache, false hunger, shaky hands, poor vision and irritability. No wonder so many people’s energy and efficiency levels drop off in the late morning hours. On the other hand, a high-fiber diet prevents too rapid absorption,

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ensuring a steady release of nutrients into the blood stream. This results in consistent energy throughout the morning. Fiber also absorbs water as it moves through the stomach and intestines, preventing constipation. Let’s compare some fiber-rich foods with similar but refined foods.

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Jump Start Your Day with Breakfast An Orange has 2.5 grams of fiber,

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compared to 1 cup of orange juice, with only ½ a gram. ©Hemera Photo-Objects

One piece of whole wheat bread has 2.2 grams,

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while white bread has just over ½ a gram. It would take more than four slices of white bread to equal the fiber in one piece of whole wheat bread. ©Hemera Photo-Objects

A Bowl of Oatmeal has 4 grams of fiber,

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compared to a bowl of Corn Flakes with ½ a gram. ©Wildwood Lifestyle Center; Hemera PhotoObjects

It’s very simple, unrefined plant foods are excellent sources of dietary fiber,

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whereas animal products like eggs, meat, and dairy products are virtually devoid of fiber. ©Hemera Photo-Objects; Comstock #00002739

Fiber does far more than to just help maintain physical and mental energy. It plays a crucial role in:

 Weight control,  Heart disease, and  Diabetes.  It also helps protect against… Cancer.

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Eating a variety of unrefined foods is the best way to provide your body with the fiber it needs. Why is it that most people skip breakfast? The most common reason people give is,

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“I don’t have time to eat breakfast!” ©Photodisc #BU000776

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Jump Start Your Day with Breakfast Too many people are in the habit of staying up late, then sleeping in as long as they can in the morning.

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The solution? Try going to bed early enough so you can wake up in the morning feeling refreshed and with time to spare.

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Begin the day by drinking a glass or two of water. ©Comstock #15444, #5262; Photodisc #67016

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Get outside in the fresh air for some active exercise, like a brisk walk. Shower and dress for the day. Then eat a nourishing breakfast. It will boost your energy, increase your attention span, and leave you feeling better.

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This also works well with children. Put them to bed early enough…

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to wake up in time to join the family around the breakfast table. ©Photodisc #2370; Eyewire #LHO050

Unfortunately, many people are saying, “But I’m just not hungry in the morning!”

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Why? Probably the biggest culprit is that large meal in the evening,

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and the late TV snacks. ©Corbis Stock Market #RF4846551; Photodisc #AA003709

At bedtime the stomach is still busy digesting all that food. Since digestion slows down during sleep, sometimes food is still in the stomach in the morning.

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But the stomach needs rest too. An exhausted stomach does not feel like breakfast. -5-

Jump Start Your Day with Breakfast What is the solution? Eat a light supper and at least four hours before bedtime.

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Eat or drink nothing but water after the evening meal. We actually sleep much better on an empty stomach. ©Comstock #00005267; Good Shoot #023075

What about weight loss?

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With the increasing need to lose weight, many people believe skipping breakfast will help them accomplish this goal. Surprisingly, this is only an illusion. Breakfast studies demonstrated that the omission of breakfast does not help in weight reduction. It’s actually a disadvantage because those who do not eat breakfast experience increased hunger and eat more snacks and food the rest of the day. Be imaginative! Be creative! Breakfast can be made of almost any nutritious food available to you.

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It’s quite interesting to read the Bible account of how God provided His people with food as they journeyed to the Promised Land.

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For forty years “He rained down manna for the people to eat, He gave them the grain of heaven. Men ate the bread of angels.” Psalms 78:24, 25 (NIV) This manna was given once each day and it was always in the morning! Of course our breakfasts aren't rained down from heaven these days, but God does cause the earth to bring forth many healthy and tasty foods.

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The bottom line? A good breakfast will boost your energy, improve your health and mental function—and help you lose weight. Where can you find a better bargain than that?

A portion of this nugget comes from the book, Health Power, by Aileen Ludington, MD, and Hans Diehl, DrHSc, MPH, Review and Herald Publishing Association, 2000, p. 172-175. 1 Craig, Winston, 1993, Eating For Good Health, Golden Harvest Books, Eau Claire, Michigan, p. 63. 2 Belloc, N., Breslow, L. 1972. Relationship of Physical Health Status and Health Practices. Preventive Medicine (1)411-415. 3 Breakfast Source Book, Cereal Institute, Chicago, p. 13. 4 Craig, Ibid., p.64.; Zelman, Kathleen, MPH,RD, Atlanta spokeswoman for the American Dietitic Association, by 2000 WebMD Corp, Sept 21, 2000. 5 Houston’s Baylor College of Medicine, Nicklas, Theresa, DrPH,LDN, professor of pediatrics at the Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Baylor; Sept. 21, 2000 by 2000 WebMD Corp; Craig, Winston, 1993, Eating For Good Health, Golden Harvest Books, Eau Claire, Michigan, p. 64.

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